Device for piling up sheets, booklets or the like



G. SCHICK June 4, 1963 DEVICE FOR PILING UP SHEETS, BOOKLETS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 1, 1960 G. SCHICK June 4, 1963 DEVICE FOR FILING UP SHEETS, BOOKLETS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1, 1960 3,092,331 DEVICE FQR PILING UP SHEETS, BOOKLETS OR THE Lil E Gunther Schick, N eutfen, Wurttemberg, Germany, assignor to Hans Sickinger, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Filed Sept. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 53,440 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 3, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl. 271-87) The invention embodies a piling device for paper sheets, exercise books or the like, to be used in paper working machines where the paper sheets etc. are successively fed into the piling device. In particular, the invention aims at creating a simple and reliable piling device in such a manner that the paper piles can be removed in a simple fashion during the operation of the machine. According to this invention, this is made possible by providing a piler .that can be lowered under the sheet entering the machine and raised in the direction of the pile, as well as a pile holder that can be moved transversely to the direction of pile, both piler and pile holder alternating in supporting the sheet pile.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing of one embodiment, wherein FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the piling device under this invention,

FIG. 2 is a section along line II-II of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a section along line IIIIII of FIG. 1.

On a feeder plate 1, one lateral edge of which is preferably inclined by about 45 degrees (FIG. 1), the paper sheets 2 (FIG. 2), copy books or the like, hereinafter collectively referred to as sheets, are successively advanced in the direction of arrow 2a. Sheets 2 may be advanced in the conventional manner, e.g. by conveyor belts 3, which are sectionally shown in FIG. 1, or by drivers or other means of conveyance up to a position below or slantingly below pile 4. Every sheet 2 'will be added to pile 4, which is shown only in FIG. 1, from below. By this method, the sheets 2 are placed together smoothly and firmly and without any major air space. Moreover, pile 4 can be removed or conveyed in a simple manner, which would not be so easy if the sheets 2 were to be dropped on the pile arranged further below as the sheets while being dropped would impede removal of the pile. In addition, the sheets, if dropped from above, would not fall in vertical alignment with each other, so that another operation would be required to form a neat pile.

In the position shown in FIG. 1, pile 4 is supported by pins 5 which are fastened to a common base plate 6, a frame or the like. Base plate 6 is movable in the direction 7 of the pile to allow a sheet 2 to be admitted. In FIG 1, base plate 6 is shown in its uppermost position. Pins 5 also extend preferably in the pile direction 7 so that pile 4 is supported in a plane that is preferably inclined by about 45 degrees towards the side.

Base plate 6 is connected with link 8 of an articulated square 8, 9, 11 whose conducting rods 9, 16 are mounted on shafts 11, 12 which are fastened to the frame of the piling device. Conducting rod carries a roll 13 (FIG. 3) resting against a cam 14 fitted on a drive shaft 15. Drive shaft 15 is driven by a motor (not shown) by way of a shaft 16 and gears 17, 18.

While base plate 6 with pins 5 is in its lower position, Where pins 5 do not extend beyond the feeder plate 1, pile 4 is supported by a pile holder 19, 20. This pile holder consists preferably of two forks 19, which are arranged opposite to each other and whose teeth point to the center of the pile. Pile holder 19, 20 can be moved transversely to the pile direction 7, preferably transversely to the feeding direction 2a of sheet 2 from the position shown in FIG. 1 into the position illustrated by dash lines. Forks 19, 20 are fastened with their ice cross bars 19a, 20a to arms 21, '22 which are rigidly connected with shafts 23, 24 that are rotatably mounted in the frame. With arms 21, 22, and via shafts 23, 24, lever arms 25, 26 are rigidly connected which in turn are connected by bearing pivots 27, 28 with a two-armed lever 29., Lever 29 is mounted between the two bearing pivots 27, 28 on a pin 31) which is fastened to the end of a rod 31. Rod 31 is connected by pivot 32 with a conducting rod 33 which is slewably mounted on shaft 12 by means of a sleeve 34. Conducting rod 33 carries on pin 35 (FIG. 3) a roll 36 resting against cam 37 which is fastened to the drive shaft 15. V

When drive shaft 15 is turned, cam 37 lifts via corn ducting rod 33 the rod 31 in time with the rotation of the, driving shaft 15. Rod 31 is returned by a spring (not shown). When rod 31 is raised, lever 29 is lifted by a certain degree from the position shown in FIG. 1. Thereby lever arms 25 and 26 connected with lever 29 are also raised and shafts 23 and 24 are turned together with the arms 21, 22 fastened thereto. Arms 21, 22 are thereby swung from their inner positions shown in FIG. 1 into their outer positions marked by dashes. Forks 19, 2% are swung outside thus making room below pile 4. If drive shaft 15 is rotated further, forks 19, 2t swing back .to the inner position.

Cams 14 and 37 are so arranged that pile 4 rests alternately on pins 5 and forks 19, 20. When the subsequent sheet 2 is advanced, pins 5 are withdrawn below the surface of feeder plate 1, and pile 4 is supported by forks 19, 21b. When base plate 6 is raised, the advanced sheet 2 is raised by pins 5, and when it reaches the lower edge of forks 19, 20, these are quickly swung outside. By the same degree by which these forks make room above the sheet 2, the latter is placed against pile 4 which is capable of being lowered a little. This arrangement of slightly lowering and relifting pile 4 is of advantage for the neat piling of the sheets or books or the like. Pile 4 now rests on pins 5 which are in their top positions. Forks 19, 20 are swung back during the movement of the upper edges of pins 5 above forks 19, 29, so that pile 4 is suported either by pins 5 or forks 19, 21 which are designed to penetrate each other in their spaces. To facilitate this transitional movement, forks 19, 20 may be conveXly curved on the upper side, preferably in the form of circular arcs around shafts 23 or 24 which are preferably arranged at an equal distance from the center plane of pile 4.

In order to keep pile 4 in vertical alignment on one side, the frame of the device incorporates contact rods 38 extending straight or weakly curved. These contact rods may however be replaced by a firm wall.

The invention is not confined to the embodiment described and illustrated above; its parts may be designed in the most various forms without however departing from the spirit of the invention. Instead of a feeder plate 1, separate guide members, e.g. rails or belts may be employed. Instead of pins 5, supporting rods to be arranged parallel to the bottom of pile 4, or a supporting grid, may be used. Such supporting rods may be arranged in the spaces or cavities of guide rails used in the place of feeder plate 1. Furthermore, provision may be made for the supporting rods to be swung sideways in their lower position, similar to the action of the forks 19, 21) described and illustrated above.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim 1. A device for piling up sheets, booklets or the like having a predetermined width wherein the sheets or the like are successively added to the bottom of the growing stack, comprising .a piler, means for alternatively raising said p-iler in 'a piling direction to a raised position and lowering in the opposite direction to a lowered position,

pile holder means, means for reciprocating said pile holder means transversely to said piling direction in accordance with said alternating raising and lowering of said piler, and feed means for successively feeding said sheets or the like in a generally horizontal feeding direction transversely to the extent of said predetermined width and to said piling direction above said piler in its lowered position, said piler comprising a set of pins extending in said piling direction and arranged to form a first plurality of rows spaced apart in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of said feed means and a second plurality of rows spaced apart in the direction of movement of said feed means, said pins having upper ends for supporting said sheets or the like in said raised position and lower ends fastened on a common base, said pile holder means having spikes extending generally transversely to said piling direction and between said second plurality of rows, said feed means comprising a plurality of conveyor members arranged between said first plurality of rows, the total spacing between said conveyor members being sufiicient to extend over substantially said entire predetermined sheet width.

2. A piling device as claimed in claim 1, said conveyor members being in an inclined plane; whereby said pile of sheets will tend to slide by gravity in a lateral direction with respect to the sheet feed movement, and stop means for limiting said sliding movement.

3. A piling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for alternately raising and lowering said piler comprise two swivelling levers pivoted in fixed bearings and a connecting rod linked with said swivelling levers and connected with said base.

4. A piling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pile holder means comprise two sets of said spikes extending toward each other with each carried by a cross member on each side of the device, each of said cross members being connected by arms with a shaft pivoted in fixed bearings, and a gear connecting said two shafts for rocking in opposite directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,239,995 Daneke et a1 Apr. 29, 1941 2,488,674 Mallott Nov. 22, 1949 2,488,675 Mallott Nov. 22, 1949 2,679,393 Abell et :al May 25, 1954 

1. A DEVICE FOR PILING UP SHEETS, BOOKLETS OR THE LIKE HAVING A PREDETERMINED WIDTH WHEREIN THE SHEETS OR THE LIKE ARE SUCCESSIVELY ADDED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GROWING STACK, COMPRISING A PILER, MEANS FOR ALTERNATIVELY RAISING SAID PILER IN A PILING DIRECTION TO A RAISED POSITION AND LOWERING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO A LOWERED POSITION, PILE HOLDER MEANS, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PILE HOLDER MEANS TRANSVERSELY TO SAID PILING DIRECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAID ALTERNATING RAISING AND LOWERING OF SAID PILER, AND FEED MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY FEEDING SAID SHEETS OR THE LIKE IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL FEEDING DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY TO THE EXTENT OF SAID PREDETERMINED WIDTH AND TO SAID PILING DIRECTION ABOVE SAID PILER IN ITS LOWERED POSITION, SAID PILER COMPRISING A SET OF PINS EXTENDING IN SAID PILING DIRECTION AND ARRANGED TO FORM A FIRST PLURALITY OF ROWS SPACED APART IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS AND A SECOND PLURALITY OF ROWS SPACED APART IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED MEANS, SAID PINS HAVING UPPER ENDS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SHEETS OR THE LIKE IN SAID RAISED POSITION AND LOWER ENDS FASTENED ON A COMMON BASE, SAID PILE HOLDER MEANS HAVING SPIKES EXTENDING GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY TO SAID PILING DIRECTION AND BETWEEN SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF ROWS, SAID FEED MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONVEYOR MEMBERS ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF ROWS, THE TOTAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID CONVEYOR MEMBERS BEING SUFFICIENT TO EXTEND OVER SUBSTANTIALLY SAID ENTIRE PREDETERMINED SHEET WIDTH. 